The Faculty of General Dental Practice UK (FGDP(UK)) has made its guidelines for treating patients with dementia available free of charge online. Dementia-Friendly Dentistry: Good Practice Guidelines covers the epidemiology of dementia and its implications for dental professionals, including patient identification, competence and referrals, communication, consent and capacity, history taking, treatment planning, care delivery, prescribing and site-specific considerations for dental practices, care homes, and domiciliary practice.
Developed in conjunction with the British Dental Association and the Alzheimer’s Society, it includes more than 50 recommendations for practitioners categorized using the Faculty’s “Aspirational, Basic, Conditional (ABC)” notation. First published in hard copy in October 2017, it has now been added to the Standards Online portal. Dental professionals can register free of charge at fgdp.org.uk/standards-online.
“In the United Kingdom, dementia affects one person in 20, and its incidence among general dental patients is only likely to increase as the population ages. It’s vital that as a profession we understand it and adapt our patient management and clinical decisions accordingly,” said Dr. Mick Horton, dean of FGDP(UK). “FGDP(UK) guidance is developed by dentists and for dentists, and we’re delighted to be able to make Dementia-Friendly Dentistry freely available for the benefit of all dentists, dental practices, and their patients.”
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